The
Good Childhood Report by the Children's Society found that 10 to 12 year olds in England ranked 14th out of 15 nations for happiness, behind Germany, Spain and South Africa; the UK has also come far down similar global lists drawn up by UNICEF.
Modern stress could be to blame for increasing child depression in the the UK; more teenagers are now turning to counselling to help them cope with the
pressures of social media - research has also linked
Facebook with depression in young adults and children. Bullying, including
cyber-bullying and self harm, was reported as the main issues of concern by
ChildLine last year. Overall, 35,244 of the counselling sessions held by the service in 2014/15 were related to low self-esteem and unhappiness.
Prof. Mark Williams at Oxford University, confirmed that "technostress" was growing. "Every generation thinks it is more stressed than the last. It's usually not true but this time it looks [as if] it is. That's because this is the first generation that is constantly flitting between the actual, real world and the virtual world of the internet. It's not multitasking, it's multi-switching - and there are switching costs, mainly distraction, exhaustion, irritability and mood swings."
British nine and ten-year-olds are also getting the least sleep, the main reason appearing to be the use of electronic devices in the bedroom. This was found to be a common phenomenon in affluent countries, where we are more likely to
buy children electronic devices and allow them in their bedrooms. Today, children are likely to own more toys and gadgets than ever before, yet the Unicef global report on child well-being found that children are not getting happier the more they own, instead, British parents could be trapping their children in a cycle of "compulsive consumerism". As children spend more time online, social media addiction is also becoming a problem - this
website offers advice to parents on how to protect their children.
Prof. Mark Williams at Oxford University, confirmed that "technostress" was growing. "Every generation thinks it is more stressed than the last. It's usually not true but this time it looks [as if] it is. That's because this is the first generation that is constantly flitting between the actual, real world and the virtual world of the internet. It's not multitasking, it's multi-switching - and there are switching costs, mainly distraction, exhaustion, irritability and mood swings."
I came across a recent article in the Guardian, in which the author discusses praise as a motivating factor for children; if this is a topic that interests you, try 'Praise, Motivation and the Child' (370.154 ROB) and this journal article entitled 'The Effects of Praise on Children’s Intrinsic Motivation'.
A useful overview of these theories is given on the Education Scotland website and the NFER have conducted an international research survey to discover literature on learner motivation in other countries. 
The Education Endowment Foundation have recently published two reports, which analyse the evidence on the achievement of English pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL). The project by three charitable groups, also explored effective interventions to raise the attainment
of this group of pupils. The
overall purpose of the project is to help schools and policymakers to effectively target policy,
interventions and funding to address achievement gaps. Both reports can be accessed here.
Following a four-week consultation involving children/young people in care and adult care leavers, leading organisations have backed a proposal for extending so-called 'Staying Put' arrangements to children’s homes. The study also highlights the importance of each young person having a choice about what happens to them when they turn 18. Click here to view.